At the beginning of 2025, as she was packing up all her holiday decorations and preparing for the fresh start of the new year, one of our members, Maxine, took a little break to check the mailbox.
To her surprise, on the very top of the stack, there was a letter from the IRS. She had never received a letter from the IRS before, and it terrified her. She immediately tore into the envelope to see what it was all about.
The IRS notice she received was asking for documentation to prove that she could claim certain dependents on her 2022 tax return. Some of the information they were requesting included verification of wages and income, as well as proof of residency and support for the dependents she was claiming. The notice also informed her that she would no longer be entitled to the $10,000 refund she was supposed to receive if she could not provide the requested information. Maxine was immediately overwhelmed and had no idea how to even begin navigating this process. Fortunately, she remembered that she had purchased Audit Defense for her 2022 tax return. She quickly pulled out her laptop, navigated to TaxAudit.com, and submitted a request to start a case.
Within several hours, she received a follow up message from her case coordinator, LaShawna. LaShawna let Maxine know that she was in good hands and that TaxAudit would be there to help her every step of the way. LaShawna started by sending Maxine easy-to-understand questionnaires so that they could get an initial overview of Maxine’s tax situation. While Maxine worked on the questionnaires, LaShawna let her know that she would get a tax professional assigned to the case.
Several days later, Maxine received a phone call from her tax professional, Eric. During this call, Maxine was able to explain that she had previously split from her ex-spouse but had a custodial agreement stating she was the primary parent, and their children lived with her for the majority of 2022. Eric explained to Maxine that, unfortunately, the IRS would not accept the custodial agreement as proof that the children actually lived with her. He took some time to explain that the best course of action would be to show the IRS that she took care of the kids for most of the year. What she would need to provide would be letters from the children’s doctor, the children’s school, and utility statements to show that she provided household support.
Fortunately, Maxine was very well-organized and already had most of this documentation ready to go. She immediately uploaded all the proof into TaxAudit’s secure Message Access Portal. Eric was impressed and after gathering and compiling her documentation, he submitted it to TaxAudit’s quality control team for a final set of eyes. Quality control agreed with the response, and the documentation was forwarded to our administrative services department to ship off to the IRS.
Eric then reached out to Maxine to let her know the next steps. He informed her that a response had been submitted on her behalf and that he felt confident that Maxine would get the original $10,000 refund she believed she was owed. He also let her know to be patient to hear back from the IRS, as they were backlogged for several months.
After this phone call, Eric followed up with the IRS every six weeks to check on the status of the response. During the first call, he was told that an examiner had not yet been assigned to Maxine’s case and to call back. After another 6 weeks, Eric called back again and was told that a new letter was issued to Maxine, letting her know that the IRS still needed additional time to review her response. Fortunately for Eric, the third time was the charm! Upon calling the IRS, he was informed that the IRS had accepted the submitted response, the case would be closed, and Maxine would be receiving the tax refund she was rightfully owed.
Eric called Maxine to inform her about this wonderful news and Maxine was ecstatic! Here is what she had to say about the entire Audit Defense process:
“TaxAudit: My Financial Knights. Let's be honest, the words "IRS audit" can strike fear into the heart of even the most organized taxpayer. Then, like a beacon of hope in a sea of confusing tax codes, came TaxAudit. From the moment I signed up, they were absolute pros. They took the reins, spoke the IRS's language (which, let's face it, is a foreign one to most of us), and basically acted as my personal tax-ninja squad. They were calm, collected, and surprisingly good at explaining things without making me feel like I needed a PhD in accounting to understand. Seriously, these guys were so on top of it, I started to think they had a direct line to the IRS (though I'm sure they don't, and if they do, please don't tell me, it might break the magic). They handled all the communication, all the paperwork, and basically shielded me from the bureaucratic beast that is an audit. And the best part? They actually helped me navigate it successfully! I went from picturing myself living under a bridge with a calculator to... well, still living in my house, with a newfound appreciation for professional help. So, if you ever find yourself in the unenviable position of getting that dreaded letter, don't panic. Call TaxAudit. They might not be able to make the audit fun, but they'll definitely make it a whole lot less painful. Think of them as the superheroes of tax law, except instead of capes, they wear sensible business attire and wield the mighty power of tax code knowledge. Highly recommend!”
Reviews like these are why we continue to do what we do. We appreciate taxpayers, such as Maxine, trusting us to represent them and are always pleased when we are able to reach such a positive outcome. If Maxine ever needs IRS representation again, she knows who to call!
*Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals.
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